


Rules of Engagement

by perdiccas



Category: Heroes - Fandom
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Episode Tag, Gen, Non-Graphic Violence, Sexual Situations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-04
Updated: 2009-04-04
Packaged: 2017-10-02 10:49:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perdiccas/pseuds/perdiccas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke takes Sylar's advice to heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rules of Engagement

+

**Always have an objective. **

The sun is high in midday sky. Sweat makes Luke’s t-shirt stick to the small of his back. His every step raises a small cloud of dust as he trudges along beside the road. He peels off his sweatshirt and ties it around his waist, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand as he squints at the long curve of the road ahead. He doesn’t know how long a half a day drive will take on foot but he squares his shoulders and keeps on walking. He doesn’t have anywhere else to go.

In the distance behind him, Luke hears the low rumble of an approaching car. He quickly cleans his face with the hem of his t-shirt and turns to flag it down. He puts on his best little lost boy expression and waves frantically at the car as it nears. Luke isn’t stupid; he knows how young and defenceless he looks. If it’s a woman driving, maybe he can appeal to the mother in her and if it’s a guy? Well, Luke knows from experience that there’s a lot of men out there willing to stop for a baby faced kid with no one there to protect him.

It’s not his fault they don’t realise with Luke around they’re the ones who need protecting.

The car pulls over ahead of him. Luke jogs forward when the passenger door pops open.

“Need a ride?”

“Just two towns over,” Luke says, sliding inside the car. The air-conditioning is on full blast and he shivers in his seat, goose pimples cascading down his bare arms.

“It’s a little out of my way,” the driver says. “But I think I can swing it for you.”

Luke gives him a bright, fake smile and pretends not to notice the way his gaze flicks up and down Luke’s body.

  
+

**Know your endgame before you lift a hand.**

The driver’s name is Mike. He’s nearer middle aged than not, with thinning hair that’s greying around the edges. He like to talk, _a lot_, asking Luke questions that Luke doesn’t really want to answer.

“So, how’d you get that black eye, kid?”

“Nowhere,” Luke mumbles, fingering the bruise that’s not quite healed.

“And I guess that cut on your forehead came outta nowhere too?”

“Yeah,” Luke mutters. He folds his arms around himself and settles deeper in his seat. “Something like that.”

They drive in silence for a couple of miles. Luke stares out of the window and in the reflection of the glass, he counts each time Mike shoots him a shifty, sidelong glance.

At fifteen, Mike clears his throat. He taps his fingers on the steering wheel. “You’re a cute kid, Luke. Real pretty face. You don’t need to let anyone treat you like that.”

Luke keeps his mouth shut and his eyes down. He wonders if this is the first time Mike’s tried to pick up a teenage boy.

“Who hit you?”

No reply.

“C’mon, I’m not gonna get you into trouble, I swear. Was it your dad?”

Luke shakes his head.

“Boyfriend?”

Luke lets the question hover long enough that Mike thinks he’s found the answer. Luke’s played this game before; he knows it doesn’t matter what he says, guys like Mike don’t really care. The only thing Mike wants to know is if there’s anyone in this world who cares enough to kick his ass if he does all the things he wants to do to Luke.

“It doesn’t matter,” Luke says, shrugging. “I just need to find him again and we’ll make up. I know we will.”

“And then what?” Mike insists. “You guys fight again and he hits you again and next time maybe you don’t get to walk away? That’s no way to live. Pretty boy like you deserves better than that.”

“Yeah, right,” Luke growls. His lies are edging too close to the truth; what does it matter what anyone _deserves_? The world doesn’t work that way. “Where am I supposed to go? What am I supposed to do? He’s got a car and my mom doesn’t care…”

“You need money, is that it?” Mike pulls ten bucks from his pocket and shoves it in his hand.

Luke makes a considering noise, smoothing out the bill on his knee. “I mean, thanks and all,” he says. “But this isn’t gonna get me very far.”

Luke tries to hand the bill back, arranging his face in something like gratitude when Mike waves it back at him again. “Keep it. Look, you’re a smart kid. Why don’t you see if you can think of someway to earn a bit more?”

Luke’s smart enough to know that no judge will take, “It was the kid’s idea, honest!” as a defence.

Ten miles more and Luke says, “Can you pull over?”

“Sure.” Mike looks at him nervously. He nibbles at his cuticles when he’s anxious.

Luke has the door half open when he turns back and says, “I need to take a leak. You coming?”

  
+

**Keep a clear head. Emotions make you sloppy. **

Branches snag on Luke’s jeans as he makes his way deeper into the underbrush. Mike is close behind him, breathing heavily in anticipation. It’s cooler, now, deep in the shadows of the overgrown trees. He pulls his sweatshirt back over his head.

“This is far enough.”

Mike’s voice is close, too close behind him. Luke pauses. He glances towards the road; it’s barely visible through the gaps in the leaves.

“No one can see us,” Mike promises.

“Good,” Luke says.

He spins on his heel and Mike is there, leering at him with his jeans shoved down his thighs, cock out and face expectant.

“Twenty bucks if you suck it, fifty if you let me fuck you.”

Luke looks him up and down, like he’s considering the offer, but shakes his head.

“I’m not in the mood to haggle, kid.” Mike pulls out his wallet and flashes his cash. “You’re not gonna get a better deal.”

“How’s this for a deal?” Luke counters. “Give me your money and your keys and I won’t kill you.”

“What?” Mike stares at him incredulously and then lets a whooping belly laugh. Luke laughs too, because why not? It’s funny that Mike thinks he’s got nothing to fear from Luke.

Then, Mike wipes his eyes and glares at him for chuckling too. “Quit fucking around and get on your knees.”

“Your choice.” Luke shrugs. He steps forward. Mike closes his eyes, waiting for the sound of leaves rustling as Luke gets on the ground. Instead, Luke nukes him fast. His eyes flare open before he dies and Luke makes sure to smirk. “I warned you,” he whispers but Mike’s not alive to hear it.

He plucks the wallet from Mike’s hand, pocketing the cash. He scrunches up his nose against the smell as he digs in Mike’s jacket pocket for the car keys.

“Ow!” he yelps, tossing the hot metal between his hands and hissing through his teeth.

Luke’s whistling, kicking at the scrub as he emerges into the sunlight once more. The last thing he expects is the burly state trooper he nearly walks into. He’s standing with arms crossed and a sour expression.

Luke barely bites back a cry of surprise and swallows dryly, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder and see how well the body is concealed. His ability is pulsing just under his skin and Luke’s first impulse is to nuke this bastard too – wrong place, wrong time – and be done with it. But, the thought of Sylar’s disapproving gaze stays his hand.

“Car trouble?” the trooper asks, eyeing Luke suspiciously. Luke looks up at the road. There’s another state trooper sipping his coffee as he leans against the trunk of their cruiser, parked neatly behind “Luke’s” car.

“No, uh…” Luke does his best to look sheepish. “Call of nature.”

The trooper nods, not quite convinced. He’s staring beyond Luke, into the underbrush. Sweat trickles down the back of Luke’s neck.

“Thought I heard a disturbance.” It’s a statement that’s phrased like an accusation. He flicks on a flashlight and shines the beam into the trees. Ten feet to the left and Luke’s sure he’ll see the pool of blood that’s oozing from Mike’s bloated corpse.

“Sorry, that was me.” The flashlight clicks off. Luke has the trooper’s attention. “I saw a snake,” he tries.

Luke gets a hard stare and then, the trooper snorts out a laugh. “It’s nothing, Larry!” he shouts to his partner. “Kid says he saw a snake!”

Larry laughs too and shakes his head. The trooper shoves his flashlight in his belt and claps Luke on the shoulder. “You’re not from around here, are you, son?”

“Uh, no.” Luke shrugs. “Just passing through.” He touches his fingers gingerly to the cut on his forehead. “Gonna stay with my dad for a bit. My step dad’s not such a great guy.”

Luke’s shoulder gets a comforting squeeze and he’s guided back towards the road. “I’m sorry to hear that. Now, don’t you worry about snakes. All we’ve got are grass snakes and they don’t mean no harm.”

Luke gets in the car, careful not to rush as he slides the key into the ignition. The trooper slaps his hand lightly on the car roof; Larry holds up his coffee in salute. “You take care now,” they say in unison.

  
+

**Understand your motivation. **

With a car of his own, it only takes an hour for Luke to get to where he wants to be. He spots the Nissan truck parked outside the right address and keeps on driving. He stops at a grocery store half a mile away, parking in the far corner of the lot. Sylar will be pissed if the stolen car Luke’s driving leads the authorities to his trail.

Though he knows that he should hurry, that at any moment Sylar could emerge from the house with blood on his hands and Luke will be left behind again, Luke sits in the car, squeezing the steering wheel and watching the people going in and out of the store.

Luke thinks about what he has now: his own ride, complete freedom and a chance to lie low while the government targets Sylar. He thinks about what being with Sylar is like, about the constant threat of pain and abandonment, about Sylar’s ever present sneer and about the fact that Sylar doesn’t seem to want Luke around any more than his mother ever did. Sylar’s only saving grace is that he’d never bothered to lie about it.

Luke’s fist closes around the keys until the metallic teeth dig into his palm. He should leave and go to Canada, cross the border with his fake ID and get away from everything he’s ever known. He doesn’t need Sylar to do what he wants. He doesn’t need Sylar to survive.

But the truth is that the pros and cons don’t matter. Luke’s decision was made long ago by the way his stomach flips when he thinks about how _near_ Sylar is right now. He leaves the car unlocked and the keys on the driver’s seat. There will always be a thief stupid enough to dispose of the evidence for him.

  
+

**Always know what it is that you want.**

Luke jimmies the lock on the truck and buckles himself in. He has to wait twenty minutes before Sylar storms out the house, scowling. He’s so caught up in whatever’s gone down with his dad that he doesn’t notice Luke sitting there until he’s two feet from the car. Sylar stops in his tracks and raises one menacing hand.

Luke swallows and keeps his face impassive. This is it. If Sylar’s going to kill him this time, Luke won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing him squirm. They stare at each other for a long moment, and then Sylar drops his hand with a shake of his head and gets in the car beside him.

Sylar starts the car. Luke breathes a sigh of relief. The radio gets turned on high and neither speaks.

When they’re out of that town, when there’s nothing to see but road ahead and road behind, and Luke’s settled comfortably in his seat with barely a memory what Samson’s house looked like, that’s when Sylar says, “I thought I told you to go home.”

“Maybe this is the closest thing I have.”

Sylar looks at him from the corner of his eye. His gaze drags over Luke, considering. It’s so much like Mike and nothing like him at all. Sylar’s a predator where Mike had only scavenged. Eventually, Sylar grunts and slaps Luke’s leg with the back of his hand.

“Get your feet off the dashboard. We’re going to D.C.”


End file.
